False Inventions
by Sangelide
Summary: None of Professor Agase's inventions are suppose to work correctly, right? A different look at Conan's new world when inventions don't start miraculously working as advertised.
1. The Voice Changer

False Inventions 

None of Professor Agase's inventions are suppose to work correctly, right?

_The Voice Changer_

The urge to growl was nearly overwhelming. Three days of being shrunk and he still couldn't adjust. Shinichi understood the difference in power. That kidnapping case made it all too clear. Physical limitations aside, the teenager turned child could not understand why no one would even listen to him.

So what if he was only seven years old? It didn't hurt anyone to look when he said he found something important. Honestly, if he hadn't played off Okino, Yoko's weakness for kids they would have never found that earring. Without the connection to Ikezawa, Yuuko's the entire story might have stayed hidden. He expected an amount of derision from detective Mouri, but Shinichi wondered how Inspector Megure ever solved a case without him.

"I think he killed himself." After listening to the idiots argue in circles, Shinichi had enough. His simple comment rang out in the brief lull of verbal battle.

Mouri scoffed. "That's why you're still just a brat."

"But Yamagishi-san couldn't do it. Uncle said Yoko-san didn't do it and Yamagishi-san was with Yoko-san." Mouri blinked as his illogical conjecture worked against him. "And if Yuuko-san didn't kill him, the murderer has to be Fujie-san. Besides, the guy who lost his love always kills himself. It's in all of Mom's books."

Everyone stared at Conan. He didn't have to fake the blush or embarrassed fidgeting. The great detective Kudo, Shinichi, reduced to this. Even if he had everything figured out, there was no way he could tell everyone. Odd stares would be the least of his worries. But if they accused anyone and took the case to trial, that person would be forever followed by doubt unless a clear murderer was found.

"Ran, take the brat home. A little kid shouldn't even be-"

"Inspector!" Mouri's instructions were cut off as a uniformed officer ran into the room with a notebook in a sealed evidence bag. The office explained the notebook to be a journal with physical proof the victim intended to commit suicide if Yoko refused to listen to his last plea. Disbelieving looks turned towards Conan as he tried to keep the smug grin off his face.

"But he was stabbed in the back, where he couldn't reach."

"Maybe he fell on it. Teacher always warns us about running with sharp things around." Inspector Megure jumped when Conan answered his unspoken question. If he couldn't tell anyone the answer, Shinichi would give as many hints as he could.

Two hours later, the famous teenage detective managed to give Mouri enough ideas to solve the mystery. A silly story told to Ran about being stabbed by the toothpick of a homemade popsicle made everything click. Shinich rolled his eyes as Inspector Megure thanked detective Mouri profusely. The old man's deduction wasn't amazing. A small miracle possibly, but nothing impressive. No wonder Ran's father didn't get any cases.


	2. The Kicking Shoes

False Inventions 

None of Professor Agase's inventions are suppose to work correctly, right?

_The Kicking Shoes_

"Murder, theft, assault… crime is everywhere and Mouri hardly sees any of it. Two cases in the last nine days and I had to lead him around by the nose to get anything solved. Tell me why I'm staying there again?"

"It's better than nothing Shinichi-kun. The more cases he solves with your help, the more his reputation will grow. Just be patient."

The small boy snorted. He set down the newspaper on Professor Agase's kitchen table to turn the page. Being small sucked. "At the rate we're going I'll go crazy long before I find anything about the two men in black. Why can't you just fix me?"

"Like I said before, I'm an inventor, not a bio-chemist. And without a sample of the poison I couldn't do much for you even if I was."

"Your inventions haven't done much for me either," Shinichi reminded him. That bow tie voice changer would have been perfect, if it worked right. Even with a complete phonetic range of language from Professor Agase, the synthetic version sounded stilted and unrealistic. That didn't include how his child-like voice could still be heard despite 'Professor Agase's' voice overriding it.

"Well don't dwell on the things you can't do." The inventor easily ignored his neighbor's disparaging remarks. "I've enrolled you into school. You can keep busy while the Mouri Detective Agency is slow."

"What!" The undignified screech aptly displayed the boy's horror.

Agase's proud smile never faltered. "It took a few favors to get the right papers for Edogawa, Conan, but you're officially registered at Tantei Elementary."

"B-But…" This was a dream; a very bad dream. Shinichi didn't realize he had such an active imagination.

"Now, now. Ran was worried about Conan's parents. They haven't come back at all. I told her they were out of the hospital, but had to return to America rather suddenly. Without knowing how long you'd be staying I had to sign you up." The boy's disappointed frown faded as Shinichi tried to find a way out of the situation.

"School is a waste of time. I can't go. I need to stick with Mouri and find the men in black." High school was boring enough, but at least he had Ran to keep him entertained. The thought of elementary school terrified him. It meant accepting he'd be small for an extended amount of time. Past cases had never taken more than a day or so to solve.

"It won't be that bad." The glare leveled at the professor declared that yes, tit would be that bad. Agase visibly swallowed before brightening. "I have something that will help."

A few minutes rummaging through the scattered piles of junk produced a pair of child sized sneakers. "These shoes are designed to enhance the leg and foot muscles to increase your kick strength. Now you can have the power you need to catch the culprits you find."

The idea was too tempting to discard. Tying the crisp laces, Shinichi tried to forget that none of the inventions his neighbor showed him ever worked correctly.

"Now, you don't' want to be late. Everything you need is in this backpack. Make sure to arrive no later than 8 o'clock. Someone in the school office will be expecting you." The professor gave him no time to test the shoes. The inventor literally shoved him out the door before waving cheerfully and retreating back inside. The audible click of the dead bolt locking left the shrunken teen standing alone with a medium sized bag clutched in his hands.

Trudging down the street towards his old elementary school, Shinichi deftly thought of several alternatives than attending classes. The professor likely knew he would and sprung this at the last minutes leaving him no choice but to go. His conclusion: Agase didn't want him hanging around so often.

Sighing, the would-be detective resigned himself to being Conan as long as it took to catch the crooks that poisoned him.

~Scene Break~

Kids scattered as he stormed out of school. All his deductions for the day proved true. Arriving alone at the office resulted in poorly concealed pitying looks. The child speak used towards him irritated him even more. Not even Ran was that bad.

Introducing himself to a room full of second graders was awkward. The only gratitude he felt towards Professor Agase came from the fact he was sent to school wearing street clothes that Ran picked out for him a few days ago. It turns out the elementary no longer required uniforms. Showing up in a mini-suit the first day would have been bad.

By the time physical education class arrived, Shinichi had been reprimanded by every teacher for not paying attention. Being able to answer every question they asked correctly only kept them from punishing him more. Soccer was a godsend. The praise from his female classmates made him feel almost normal.

Then he decided to try the professor's new shoes. That brilliant idea banished any goodwill he had left towards Agase and earned him a trip to the school infirmary. The nurse bought his story of muscle cramps from lack of recent use, but the electrical shock he had received was not pleasant. He could still feel the pins and needles.

Glowering at another kid that dared stand in his way, Shinichi turned the corner and froze. A suspicious man in a trench coat and sunglasses hid in the shadows of a nearby alley. Was this Mouri's idea of being discreet?

Five minutes later, the teenage detective had a new level of respect for the man's idiocy. After the day he had, the boy had no wish to go near his best friend's father while he was shadowing someone so poorly. Hopefully a few hours yelling at the crazy inventor that sent him too school with electrocuting shoes would give him enough strength the play 'little boy' for Ran.

Without his new classmates around, the walk helped clear his mind a bit. Shinichi admitted he should have known better regarding the shoes. How many times had the teen helped his neighbor after one of his creations blew up? The phrase 'enhancing the muscles' was a clear indication of a stimulus being used. Drugs had been the only workable method to date the teen knew that could 'enhance' human muscles. Electrical stimulation was a good theory, but the long term effects of steroids and similar drugs out weighed the immediate results. If the professor's idea had worked, what could the long term effects of continued electricity use be?

A safer idea would have been to add an extra boost of power to the kicked object. The recoil would need to be addressed, but bullets traveled at a high speed with minimal effort by the user. Gunpowder wasn't the right method of execution, but the basic idea had merit. They could try a miniaturized oxygen tank stored in the sole of the shoe. The pressurized air could be released at the moment of impact to increase the objects velocity.

Shinichi was so lost in thinking of workable enhanced shoes he forgot to lecture the professor.


	3. The Voice Changer & The Kicking Shoes

False Inventions 

None of Professor Agase's inventions are suppose to work correctly, right?

_The Voice Changer & The Kicking Shoes_

Mouri was determined to find the hole in Masaki's alibi. Shinichi didn't blame him. Being used as an escape by a criminal was unforgivable. Rubbing his head from the most recent strike from Mouri's fist, the boy looked over the scattered photos.

Two pictures caught his attention. Negishi-san was either ambidextrous or something was wrong. Sorting through the mess produces two significant piles. One had the man using his left hand predominantly while the other showed his right hand being used. Even mixed up it was clear one hand had been used the first day and the other the rest of the time.

Factoring in Masaki's alibi, the timeline became clear. Mouri continued to scowl at the murder's photos proving his 'innocence'. In two hours the man was going to board a plane that would take him out of the country. Shinichi had no time to lose.

"Hey Ran-neechan, look at this." The girl looked at a picture of Negishi-san writing with his left hand and one where the man ate with his right. "Isn't it cool. Negishi-san can use both hands. Can you do that?" The small boy looked at Ran in hopeful wonder. Mouri straightened from his own study to watch the two in confusion.

"You're right Conan-kun, but I can't do that. Only a few people can use both hands to write or use chopsticks."

"Do you think I could do it?" She smiled at Conan's eager face and fetched some paper for him to try.

"Negishi-san's right handed," Mouri murmured as he moved over to the discarded photos he had taken. Shinichi smiled as Ran returned.

"Then… does Negishi-san have a twin?" Conan innocently wondered. Sitting down to practice, the boy was surprised when he didn't have to fake a sloppy left hand. He vividly remembered the hours of practice after his father tricked him into a stupid bet. When both of his parents managed to write a passable letter with both hands, Shinichi had vowed to write perfectly with both hands. That was several years ago, but even without practice, he should be able to write better than this.

"That's it!" Startled, Conan looked up to see Mouri running for the phone. Only ten minutes for the detective to make the connection.

"Did you solve it Uncle?" If the old man made the wrong deduction Shinichi would need to think on his toes for damage control.

"Of course! Ah, Inspector Megure. We were right. I know how to break Masaki's alibi. You need to detain him before he boards that plane."

"It's the pictures from when I shadowed Negishi-san."

"Yes, they'll be enough evidence to make an arrest for suspicion of murder."

"Ah. Negishi-san is right handed, but after Wednesday all the photos are of a man with a predominant left hand. A double disguised as Negishi-san let Masaki fly out of town for his alibi."

"That's right. Negishi-san was dead before Masaki left. The body was hidden in the Yagura and the fire damage prevented a time of death to be found."

"Yes. Yes. Once we find the man who acted as a double, we'll be good for a trial."

"I doubt it. The double might be an accomplice, but Masaki was too smug."

"Of course, I'll be right down with the photos."

"Good idea. I'll meet you there." Hanging up, Mouri stuffed the photos in the manila envelope and tucked the original two Conan had shown Ran in his jacket pocket. Ran shook her had at the rushed, "Goodbye. Don't wait up."

If the man solved this case so quickly, there may be hope for the future. Or maybe Conan had improved his clue giving skills. Chuckling at the thought, Shinichi returned to his writing before Ran noticed. Besides, there was no way he would let being shrunk stop him from doing something that didn't depend on size.


	4. The Tracking Glasses

False Inventions 

None of Professor Agasa's inventions are suppose to work correctly, right?

_The Tracking Glasses_

Second grade rotted his brain. After a week, Shinichi resorted to problem solve some of Professor Agasa's inventions to keep sane. A spare pair of glasses had been sacrificed to create a hidden tracing device. A grid similar to a sonar device would display on the lens and indicate the location of a small transmitter. The professor's original idea was a little bulky and didn't work without a screen over the lens.

Two days of class time and a few hours of experimenting with the professor solved the projection issue. The principle was based off a one-way mirror and Agasa happened to have a colleague that already invented Shinichi's idea. A chemical solution coated the exterior surface to allow light to pass in one direction. With slightly thicker frames than normal and a relocation of most of the bulk to the earpiece, the glasses truly disguised their actual use.

Further study would lessen the CPU size for the projector and transmitter communication. Today Shinichi had thought of adding a listening device to the opposite ear piece as a useful counter balance to the weight on the right. Professor Agasa sent him home with the current working model after they successfully tracked a cat through the neighborhood.

"I'm home!" Stepping into the Mouri's main room, Shinichi heard a woman speaking in distressed tones. He listened to the details of the case as he put his backpack away. A search wasn't his area of expertise. Too bad the transmitter had to be placed on someone before they disappeared.

Ran knelt to serve tea, reminding the small teen he wanted to test the tracker on a person. Placing the small device on the small of the back would give less chance of discovery. On his way to tag Ran, the space heater's cord tripped him. Crashing into the couch and onto the clients lap helped his 'little boy' image, but Shinichi could feel his cheeks burn in embarrassment. Frustration was added when he noticed where his transmitter ended up. No way could he retrieve it unnoticed after it stuck to the clients watch.

~Scene Break~

Spare batteries. That was the next item to be added. If they moved the power source to the end of the ear piece it could be a simple screw replacement. Either way, it didn't help Shinichi at the moment. Hirota-san was murdered in his own home and Masami-san was either dead or close to it.

"Where the hell have you been?"

Jumping in the doorway, Conan scrambled for an answer. "Umm… just outside." Mouri looked at him before leaning back in his chair. "Wait. What's wrong with Ran-neechan?" Shinichi expected Ran to be the one questioning him.

A bored wave of Mouri's hand indicated his daughter's location next to the window. "She's been like that since we got back. Doesn't answer when I talk to her… She must be really worried about Masami-san."

"Hey Dad," Ran called, sending her father to his feet. "There's a guy acting strange. He's been watching us for a really long time." Pointing to a figure across the street, Shinichi recognized the man from yesterday.

"That guy! He's the same one lurking around Hirota-san's apartment. It's so suspicious. Didn't the inspector mention the murderer was a large man…" Mouri was on the same track as the teenage detective. But why watch the agency?

Ran bit her lip. "Then he- He's the one that did that to Masami-san's father?" Mouri ran for the stairs, shouting orders at Ran. Conan followed him only to stop when a metal screech sounded behind him.

Spinning around, the boy watched his childhood friend leap out a second story window. Life was never boring around Ran, but this was pushing the limit. Hearing her shout at the man, he ran down the stairs, Mouri catching up after double checking his daughter's safety.

"Wait!" Ran gave chase to the fleeing man as the two detectives finished their mad dash down the stairs. Conan shoes hit the blacktop as Ran did a running kick through the driver's window.

Ran handed him over to Mouri once they caught up to the karate girl. Conan watched the old man scream at the suspicious man and wondered for the umpteenth time just how his friend's mind worked. Jumping out a window and shattering an impact resistant plane of glass; why was he surprised?

"I'm also a detective." The weak declaration halted the Mouris' assault on the big man. "I've been wondering if you and I were asked the same thing…"

"The same thing?" Mouri let the man go as the stranger reached for a visible chest pocket.

"I was hired to find Hirota-san by this man." The low voice held a frighten warble. The photo the stranger produced showed a large man with light colored hair. The same man Conan had run into at the pachinko parlor.

Coincidence? Doubtful.

Author's Note: Thanks goes to Pu7o for the Agase/Agasa typo.


End file.
